The Body

January 22, 2001 (White)

Written by:Joss Whedon

INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - DOWNSTAIRS - DAY

Buffy enters, dropping her coat and her bag.

She notices a bouquet of flowers near the door, moves to them curiously. There is a card, and she reads it.

ANGLE: THE CARD

Reads: "Thank you for a lovely evening. See you soon (?) -- Brian."

Buffy smiles with only a tinge of sadness, mutters to herself:

She moves to the bottom of the stairs, calling out:

She doesn't see that her mother is on the couch behind her, sprawled out in a way that doesn't quite look like sleep.

Buffy finally turns, sees her, moving toward her.

Buffy stops.

ANGLE: JOYCE

Her eyes are wide open. Her skin is pale, almost bluish. She does not move.

Buffy doesn't either. She stands, rooted, as realization begins to creep in.

There is no movement. Buffy's voice is little.

BLACK OUT.

INT. BUFFY'S DINING ROOM/KITCHEN - NIGHT

Christmas dinner. Or what's left of it, the carcass of a fine bird lying amidst the clutter of largely emptied dishes. Christmas decorations highlight the room, which is lit softly with candles and Christmas lights. (The kitchen is similarly lit -- the whole atmosphere is warm and homey).

Around the table sit BUFFY, Anya, Dawn, Xander, Willow and Tara, with Joyce and Giles at the heads of the table. Joyce, Giles and Buffy are rising, the meal finished. (The plates are gone except for Xander who's still picking, and Giles, who will carry his into the kitchen.)

Much assent from the crowd.

She, Buffy and Giles exit as the dialogue continues:

This has passed over Dawn's head -- she looks in her nearly empty glass of nog.

Everyone is quietly blown away by this.

As they take this in...

...the camera moves into the kitchen, where Joyce is pulling a second pie out of the oven as Buffy is pulling plates from the cupboard. The pie is burnt around the edges.

She sets it on a hotplate on the edge of the counter.

Giles proffers a bottle of red wine.

Giles and Joyce share an affectionately embarrassed look as Giles crosses out with the bottle.

She gives her a squeeze and little kiss on the head as she says it. Buffy takes up a spatula, looking at the pie.

She tries and the pie immediately tips off the counter to the floor and the two women SHRIEK --

SMASH CUT TO:

INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - DOWNSTAIRS - DAY

ANGLE: JOYCE'S FACE

Is cold, staring. There is silence.

Buffy stands a moment, then rushes to her mother's side --

-- shaking her, grabbing her face, feeling her head, listening for breath, an unconscious mantra running under her own breath:

She feels for a pulse in the neck, not really sure what she's doing, panic rising, finally she shrieks:

as if to wake the dead.

A moment, Buffy breathing hard, then she gets up, makes her way, quickly but not altogether steadily, to the kitchen. Grabs the phone, dials 911 as she reenters the living room --

ANGLE: BUFFY'S POV

coming around the corner, seeing the body again...

Buffy moves closer, slowing down, not sure what to do as the phone rings --

She drops the phone on the table, appalled that she didn't do this sooner -- rushing to Joyce and tilting her head back, she puts her mouth to hers and blows, twice. Then pressing her palms to the middle of Joyce's chest she pumps, rapidly 15 times. She breathes again, then pumps, more powerfully.

ANGLE: HER HANDS ON JOYCE'S CHEST

We hear something CRACK.

She scrambles for the phone again.

There is the slightest change in tone from the operator. Less urgency.

Buffy hears a car approaching - stands to look out the window -- but it just passes.

Buffy pauses. She is only slightly shaking. Puts the phone back to her ear.

911 OPERATOR (cont'd; O.S.)
You just hang on... it won't be long...

BUFFY
I have to make a call.

She hangs up, her expression a bit blank. Looks down at the phone to dial it.

EXTREME CLOSE UP: THE PHONE

The camera moves toward the rows of numbers. There is a rushing sound, almost as of the surf.

EXTREME CLOSE UP: BUFFY

Looking down at the phone. Not dialing. Something settling in her face.

The rushing noise subsides.

She dials, and on the second ring:

She hangs up as a siren becomes audible in the distance. She moves quickly to the door, opening it and looking out.

ANGLE: JOYCE'S FACE

Still immobile.

DISSOLVE TO:

Buffy at the door. Looking increasingly lost. Also still.

A moment at the door and she comes back into the living room. Looks at Joyce's body -- the camera MOVES QUICKLY TOWARD JOYCE. Then a reverse moving toward Buffy. Hitting her anew.

She notices Joyce's skirt is hiked up in a slightly unseemly way. Quickly she rushes over and straightens it out, starting back up almost guiltily as two PARAMEDICS enter.

They rush over to the body. The first one feels for a pulse in the neck and wrist while the second moves the coffee table out of the way.

We mostly stay on Buffy during this, seeing quick close ups of the paramedics and their process, little details that Buffy observes more than the whole event.

They grab her at shoulders and legs, lay her on the floor. Buffy makes a motion to help, but it's clear there's nothing she can do.

The first paramedic starts CPR --

CLOSE ON: BUFFY

Watching as

CLOSE ON: JOYCE'S MOUTH

Covered by a stranger's.

The second paramedic gets equipment ready -- ambu bag, defib -- while asking questions.

CLOSE ON: The tube going into Joyce's mouth.

An oxygen mask covers it. The second paramedic moves to help his partner, hooking up a pulse monitor. Buffy watches...

CLOSE ON: THE FIRST PARAMEDIC

As he shoots a look at the second. Not happening.

Joyce suddenly coughs, raking in gasps of air as the paramedics nearly jump --

HE PULLS THE TUBE FROM HER MOUTH. The second paramedic grabs a board to carry her --

She gets as close as she can while the men work, almost weeping with joy.

INT. AMBULANCE - DAY

As it races along, Buffy by Joyce's side, the paramedics working around them --

INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY

As Buffy and Dawn crowd round their mother lovingly and the doctor beams at them --

INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - DOWNSTAIRS - DAY

We're back. It's very quiet. The paramedics are working silently. Buffy watches.

The monitor is flatlined still. Buffy sees the second say quietly to the first (SLO MO C.U.:)

They work a bit longer. Finally:

He gets up to face Buffy.

Buffy clenches her jaw, using every muscle in her body not to collapse.

The first paramedic has been packing up. His radio squawks:

They have their stuff gathered.

And they're out the door. Buffy walks them almost all the way out, in a bit of a daze now.

She puts her hand to the door but doesn't close it. Slowly she turns and reenters the living room. Her mother is laid out on the floor now. Buffy looks at her a moment, then turns blankly toward the kitchen. She walks slowly toward it, the camera trailing behind her.

She makes it to the hall outside the kitchen before she drops to her knees and, just out of frame, vomits audibly.

The camera holds on the window, the shade half up, sunlight playing on a colored wind chime that twists in the breeze.

Buffy retches a couple more times, then gets back up into frame. She moves unsteadily toward the back door, wiping her mouth on her sleeve.

The camera hangs back and frames her in the doorway as she opens it, letting in the sunlight and the sounds of outdoors. From far off we can hear neighbors splashing in a pool and someone practicing a trombone. A beginner.

ANGLE: BUFFY'S FACE

In the hard light. We see sweat beading her whole face, and she's slightly pale. She looks blankly out at the yard. After a long beat, she goes back inside and shuts the door, all noise cut off again. It seems much darker with it shut.

She pulls a couple of sheets of paper towel off a roll on the center island and goes back to where she was sick. Kneels down, folding the towel over and laying it on top of the mess.

CLOSE ON: THE TOWEL

As liquid begins to seep through.

The front door flies open, Giles seeing Buffy almost instantly. He comes forward --

He stops, puzzled by the stillness, by the fact that she's calmly on her knees.

She gets up.

He's confused, looking around -- so he finally sees her.

He instinctively moves toward her, Buffy moving as well, the camera staying with her as she rounds the corner --

-- and he's on his knees, trying to get a pulse --

-- pulling her head back for CPR and for some reason Buffy blurts hysterically --

And she said it. Her hand flies to her mouth, eyes wide, now filling with tears. She called it a body.

She makes a sound, a wheezing sound, her mouth wide open and tears beginning to spill down her face -- she doesn't sob, just stands uncomprehendingly, mouth wide open, as if the whole truth of her mother's death is trying to cram itself in there. Wheezing.

Giles comes at her, understanding, wrapping her in his arms, but her expression doesn't change.

ANGLE: JOYCE

Staring straight up.

BLACK OUT.

INT. BUFFY'S LIVING ROOM - DAY

There is no sound.

We are above Joyce, and her head and shoulders is really all we see. Men from the coroner's office are getting her into the black plastic bag. However they might have to move her, the camera always stays directly above her. They begin to zip the bag up. We can hear the zipper.

INT. GIRL'S BATHROOM - DAWN'S SCHOOL - DAY

Dawn is sitting on a sink, crying.

We pull back to see her friend LISA (in the mirror behind her) standing talking to her.

She gets down and looks in the mirror, fixing herself up a bit.

Dawn puts a wet towel to her face, does what she can to resume normalcy. She looks pretty good.

She blows her nose.

They exit into a crowded

INT. SCHOOL HALL - CONTINUOUS - DAY

Where a bunch of kids mill about or head to class. This is a middle school, which makes Dawn among the oldest kids there.

Indeed they are passing the infamous KIRSTIE, who is hanging with a couple of girlfriends in the hall. If this school has a Cordelia, this is it. She says, with near-convincing pleasantness:

As they pass the group, they intone to themselves:

They enter:

INT. ART CLASS - CONTINUING - DAY

It's one of those classrooms where the top half of the wall facing the hall is glass, so we can still see the hall as the girls enter.

Easels are being set up, kids getting ready to sketch a plaster of paris statue (greek female nude) on a table. The TEACHER wanders about, getting started:

While the teacher is nattering on, Dawn heads for the empty easels in the back and realizes she's going to be next to:

ANGLE: KEVIN BERMAN

Who is fairly cute, as expected. Not a Bad Boy, but clearly working some 14 year old cool.

Dawn, trying to be invisible, takes the easel to his right, (closer to the glass partition) while Lisa flanks him on the left, throwing Dawn a significant glance.

Dawn starts sketching the outline of the statue.

She barely looks up, a little confused about who he's talking to.

Bit of a beat.

Another beat. More sketching.

ANGLE: OVER KEVIN TO LISA

As he examines Dawn's picture, Lisa picks her drawing up, intently staring at it as though to figure out what's wrong with it. It angles toward us so we can see all that's on her paper are the words "HE WANTS YOU".

Dawn tries not to react.

Dawn changes tack with impressive speed.

Dawn smiles. As she does, we see Buffy enter frame behind her through the glass partition. Over the following, Buffy searches, spots Dawn, and enters the class.

Buffy speaks to the teacher briefly, then makes her way toward Dawn. Still Dawn doesn't see.

Dawn turns, surprised.

For a moment, Buffy just looks at her. Unable to say a thing.

Dawn doesn't speak either; there is in her some primal, unconscious knowledge that the world has shifted.

Over the following we see a series of ANGLES, some Dawn's POV, some not.

-- The teacher, looking concerned.

-- Kevin, and behind him Lisa, uncomprehending...

-- The statue. Immobile.

-- Charcoal moving along paper.

-- Buffy's eyes, slightly red-rimmed.

Dawn looks back at her friends, then puts down her charcoal. Buffy starts out of the class and she follows her.

INT. SCHOOL HALL - CONTINUING - DAY

Buffy closes the door behind them. The hall is much less crowded now, though Kirstie and her bunch are hanging at the other end, and a few others pass by.

Buffy pauses.

Dawn is sobbing uncontrollably, none of her screams or pleading or anything making a dent in the wave of grief crushing her, she half falls, half sits right there on the ground, Buffy coming down after her but Dawn not ready to be held, not able to do anything but deny, deny...

ANGLE: KIRSTIE AND HER FRIENDS

Looking on with genuine concern.

ANGLE: LISA

Is moving toward the glass partition to see what's going on, also terribly concerned.

ANGLE: FROM INSIDE THE ART CLASS

As Kevin and more kids move toward the glass to see the girl on the floor, whom now we cannot hear -- in fact there is silence entire -- the camera forward, loses them, turning to focus on Dawn's drawing: the outline of a figure, but not the figure itself. Negative space.

BLACK OUT.

INT. MORGUE EXAMINING ROOM - AFTERNOON

Again, no sound. Again, we are right above Joyce, framing her head and shoulders, as she is settled onto the steel examining table, a bright, cold light turned on above her. Her clothes are being removed. Her blouse (or camisole) needs to be cut off from her -- we see hands bring a pair of scissors into frame and begin cutting from the top down. We hear the scissors.

INT. WILLOW'S DORM ROOM - AFTERNOON

ANGLE: TARA

Framed close in front of the window. Staring at something. Still there is no sound but scissors.

ANGLE: OVER TARA TO WILLOW

Willow is in a camisole and skirt. She has clearly been crying for some time, though she is not now. She is staring at a blouse she holds up on a hanger, not seeing it. The cutting has stopped.

INT./EXT. XANDER'S CAR - AFTERNOON

ANGLE: ANYA

Still no sound. Anya sits in the passenger seat, looking out the window. In her own world.

ANGLE: XANDER

Driving. Also alone, also has been crying, though not as much as Will. His jaw is set in quiet anger.

ANGLE: FROM WILLOW'S WINDOW LOOKING DOWN

From a couple stories up, we see Xander's car pull to a stop, double parked.

INT. WILLOW'S DORM ROOM - AFTERNOON

Tara looks over her shoulder, down at the car.

She looks back at Willow, who is still staring at the blouse. Willow finally sets it down on the bed, where we see many other discarded choices. Goes back to looking in the closet.

INT./EXT. XANDER'S CAR - AFTERNOON

The two sit a moment before moving.

Beat.

He is getting out. A moment, and Anya does too.

INT. WILLOW'S DORM ROOM - CONTINUING - AFTERNOON

Willow emerges from the closet with two blouses. One is dark purple, one is bright and perky, maybe with an animal on it.

She tosses them on the bed.

She's crying now, shaking, and there is a manic pitch and rhythm to her speech that indicates she's going to go off again...

Tara comes at her and holds her, takes her head in her hands...

Tara pulls her close, to stop the shaking. She kisses her, on the mouth and again on the cheek, looks close into her eyes. She speaks softly, Willow answering her with almost a little girl's quaver...

She's steady.

INT. COMMONS STAIRCASE - CONTINUING - AFTERNOON

Xander and Anya enter by the bottom of the stairs and head up (We see down the staircase, not the whole commons.) They pass a few oblivious students, going about their days.

INT. HALLWAY OUTSIDE WILLOW'S DORM ROOM - CONTINUING

They come through a doorway at the top of the stairs, head for Willow's.

He doesn't have an answer, so he doesn't bother to give one. They come to Willow's door, which is slightly ajar. Xander raps and it swings open.

The two step in as

INT. WILLOW'S DORM ROOM - CONTINUING - AFTERNOON

The girls come to the door to greet them. (Willow has an entirely new blouse on, and a cardigan over it.) Willow and Xander hug, the other two hang back. Everyone greets everyone, more with nods than anything else.

Willow just shakes her head. Can't answer.

A beat.

She pauses, and Tara takes over for her:

Another beat.

She pulls off her sweater and tosses it by the window, starts taking off her shirt, moving behind the closet door to pick out something else and put it on.

Another beat, as the logic sinks in. But:

His hands are clenched.

She raises her little fists, matter of factly getting ready to box. Her face sweetly resigned.

He deflates. She drops her fists and he leans in, kisses her forehead.

A moment between them, then:

To break the tension, Tara offers:

Beat. A few looks to the door -- but nobody moves toward it.

Tara exits. Xander tries a shot at justifying his reluctance to go:

Something in her tone stops Will, and as she continues, she breaks down more and more...

She's crying now, she's real small, Xander comes to hold her but she moves away, plops herself down in the weird round chair. Xander retires to his corner, frustrated.

She is herself overwhelmed. She sits, not looking at either of them. The three stay that way a moment, alone.

Anya, now just sniffling, feels something digging into her back. She pulls out a stuffed animal and with it a blue shirt. She looks at the shirt a moment, then tosses it in an open drawer. Willow never sees it.

In fact, she could probably sit there looking into the floor for another half hour, except for the sudden loud SMASH of broken wood and plaster.

She jumps, looks up, as does Anya...

He has slammed his fist against the wall, and as Willow comes around to look, we see --

-- that his fist has gone right through the drywall and is stuck in there.

Anya rises, also approaching.

Willow and Anya try to pick away at the drywall and wood behind, so he can pull his hand out.

Tara enters, takes in the scene.

She pulls a chunk of drywall off and he slowly extracts his hand. His knuckles are bleeding.

CLOSE ON: XANDER'S HAND

A moment, as they all look at the blood slowly begin to swell and drip.

He looks up at her, knows she understands.

He goes to the sink.

Anya gets them, applies a couple after Xander rinses off the wound.

Tara turns meanwhile to Willow.

Her attitude is different -- Xander's slight crisis has both relieved and focused them all.

Tara smiles reassuringly at her. Squeezes her hand.

As he speaks, Willow mouths soundlessly at Tara: "I love you".

A moment of resolution, slightly popped by:

No particular answer. They file out. A moment, and Willow rushes back in.

ANGLE: HER SWEATER

Is by the window, where she tossed it. She grabs it, and the camera moves off, out the window looking down at Xander's car, just as the meter maid rips a ticket off, sticks it behind his wiper and drives off.

BLACK OUT.

INT. MORGUE EXAMINING ROOM - NIGHT

ANGLE: ABOVE JOYCE

Once more. The doctor is finishing his examination, and we are framed again at Joyce's head and shoulders. He pulls the sheet over her face. Again, there is no sound till we hear the squeak and snap of the doctor's gloves being taken off.

At this point the camera tilts up to see the doctor and the rest of the gloomy room. There are four tables behind the examining space, three with sheeted corpses on them. Near the examining table is a tray with various instruments on it, including a nasty bone saw. The only light in the room besides the lamp above Joyce are some patches of moonlight from the high, small windows. At the far end of the room is a single door leading down the hall, with a small window in it. It stands open.

REVERSE ANGLE: FROM THE DOOR

The doctor is small in the frame as he shuts the light off above Joyce. He heads out and we lead him into

INT. HOSPITAL HALLWAY - CONTINUING - NIGHT

As he shuts the door behind him and starts down the hall, which is long and also dimly lit. He goes through a swinging door and the aspect of the hallway changes, this is more brightly lit, less grey, clearly the non-dead-person part of the hospital. The door swinging shut behind him says AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY. Still we're leading him, as he turns a corner, passing us and leading us into

INT. HOSPITAL WAITING ROOM - CONTINUING - NIGHT

Where he stands at the entrance, not disturbing the scene taking place in the center of the room.

Which scene is the greeting process, everyone together, scoobies, Buffy, Giles, Dawn, the hugging and kind words, which though whispered, ring out in this empty, surreal space.

DISSOLVE IN as Willow is hugging Buffy.

They pull apart, Willow wanting to say something about Joyce...

Giles is a bit surprised as Anya hugs him, tightly. He hugs her back, then notices the doctor waiting.

Buffy looks up sharply -- she's not sure she wants to hear what he has to say. But she moves to him, stiffly, Dawn and Giles following. The others look at each other, decide to hang back.

We stay on Buffy for most of the following:

INT. BUFFY'S LIVING ROOM - DAY

Joyce is there with Buffy.

Joyce slumps to the couch, Buffy rushing to her side --

INT. AMBULANCE - DAY

Same scene as before, but just a silent flash of it --

INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY

Same tableau again, happy Joyce and girls, but another silent flash --

INT. HOSPITAL WAITING ROOM - NIGHT (CONTINUING)

ANGLE: THE DOCTOR

Looks right into camera and though he says:

What we HEAR, as if inefficiently dubbed, is:

ANGLE: BUFFY

Not reacting to either statement. Stone-faced.

Giles and the doctor move off. Buffy and Dawn join the others.

She's staring right through them.

She puts her hand to Buffy's arm, leads her to a seat. Tara and Willow sit as well, flanking Buffy. The others stand, including Dawn, who throws a look back at:

ANGLE: THE HALLWAY

That leads to the morgue proper.

She turns back to the others. Xander gives her a squeeze. She's a little stiff -- in her own world, like Buffy.

Dawn shakes her head.

She stops.

She takes off.

A beat.

Everyone is made momentarily uncomfortable.

But Buffy isn't offended, sincerely saying to Anya:

She gets up, heads off, Xander taking Anya by the hand and going as well.

This leaves Buffy and Tara. There are a few beats of silence, a tiny bit uncomfortable.

A small beat.

Buffy looks at her, a little thrown.

Buffy nods, gratefully. Tara retreats into herself a bit, thinking she's perhaps gone too far.

ANGLE: THE WOMEN'S ROOM

As Dawn emerges. She sees Buffy and Tara talking -- neither is looking in her direction. She looks at them, looks down the hall, then takes off toward the morgue.

INT. HOSPITAL HALLWAY - CONTINUING - NIGHT

We lead her as she moves slowly down the hall, through the swinging door -- and into the darker, grimmer area. She looks at a couple of doors, finally finding the right one. She looks in the little window, sees the bodies and, after a moment's hesitation, opens it.

INT. MORGUE EXAMINING ROOM - CONTINUING - NIGHT

She shuts the door behind her. Locks it. Sees the examining table at the other end and slowly starts toward it. Passing the other corpses, becoming less steady...

ANGLE: DAWN'S POV

As the covered figure gets closer.

She comes to it, stands before it. Emotion working on her face, she reaches for the sheet -- and stops. Puts her shaking hand back at her side, unsure of whether she can go through with this.

One of the corpses behind her sits up.

CLOSE ON: THE CORPSE

As the sheet slides off his face. He is a newly risen VAMPIRE, and he takes a moment to take in his condition, his surroundings. Then he sees the girl. Hunger flickers in his eyes.

ANGLE: OVER THE TABLE TO DAWN

She stands with her back to us, still undecided, as the vampire's naked leg comes into frame, the sheet falling away as he makes his way, still unsteadily, toward the trembling little meal.

As he closes, Dawn finally realizes she's not alone. Turns to see him, paralyzing shock spreading over her face.

INT. HOSPITAL WAITING ROOM - CONTINUING - NIGHT

The threesome arrives back where Buffy and Tara are sitting. Willow and Anya are loaded with sodas, vending machine sandwiches, Twinkies and candy bars... Xander has two cups of vending machine coffee.

Buffy looks at the cornucopia, nonplussed.

Buffy looks toward it.

She looks around, knowing something is wrong. She stands.

Buffy walks toward the hall.

INT. HOSPITAL HALLWAY - CONTINUING - NIGHT

And down it, slowly, brow furrowed. Through the swinging door. Down further. Hears something -- a small crash. Moves faster.

Comes to the door and looks in.

ANGLE: THROUGH THE DOOR

We see Dawn struggling in the grip of the vampire.

Buffy tries the door and when it's locked she slams her shoulder into it -- it doesn't quite give -- with mounting panic she SLAMS it again and it flies open --

INT. MORGUE EXAMINING ROOM - CONTINUING - NIGHT

-- the lock splintering out as Buffy races forward -- The vampire has Dawn from behind and is nearly at her neck. Suddenly Buffy's arm wraps round his neck, she tries pulling him off Dawn but he is strong. She grabs at his face with her other hand, it's close in and ugly, nothing smooth or martial arty about it, she's just in a panic to get him off Dawn.

He does let go, elbowing Buffy hard in the stomach -- Buffy doubles over --

ANGLE: DAWN

Flying forward, she hits the edge of Joyce's table, pulling slightly at the sheet --

ANGLE: JOYCE

As the sheet slides off enough to reveal her face...

Dawn doesn't see that, she hits the ground painfully and turns back to look at Buffy as the vampire grabs Buffy by the throat, she grabs his hands but she's just not at full strength...

ANGLE: THEIR FEET

As Buffy's rises between his rather rapidly, kneeing him hard as hell.

He screams and throws her, but she holds on, they both go flying, tumbling into the tray of instruments, that clatter on the floor beside them. He lands on top.

Buffy gets him up enough to land a solid PUNCH, knocking him to one side, rolling them over, she holds him down as she grabs the bone saw... now his fingers are on her face, trying to push her off as she brings the saw to his neck, and we stay with her as she shoves down once -- the saw goes in (out of frame) just a little, the hands still clawing at her, then down again -- all the way to the floor.

She rolls off his body as it turns into dust.

Lies there a moment, panting...

She brings herself up to sitting, resting on one hand as she looks to her sister and realizes her sister isn't paying any attention to her at all. The camera moves back to show Dawn staring... then back further to show what she's staring at.

Joyce's face stares up, blue and unmoving.

There is a long silence.

Another silence, until:

Dawn is completely lost. Infinitely small and alone.

Buffy cannot answer.

Dawn reaches out, slowly, to touch her mother's face.

Buffy watches, wanting to stop her.

ANGLE: JOYCE

As Dawn's hand nears it, about to touch it...

BLACK OUT.